


Sweet & Spicy

by justdk



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Age Difference, Alive Noah Czerny, Cooking, Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 19:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20158951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justdk/pseuds/justdk
Summary: Noah tries out a new recipe





	Sweet & Spicy

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by my cooking mishaps with jalapeño peppers

Ronan opened the back door, kicked his boots off in the hall, and followed the spicy smells to the kitchen.

He found Noah swaying in front of the stove, a half empty bottle of Corona in one hand and a sauce-covered spatula in the other. He was humming to the music playing from his phone, an album that had probably been released when he was in high school. The counter was littered with ingredients and bowls, dirty spoons, and a couple empty Coronas with squeezed lime slices resting inside. Noah’s cat Valkyrie was sleeping on the edge of the counter, her ears flicking whenever Noah stirred at the pot on the stove.

Ronan stood staring, drinking in the moment. He never got tired of watching Noah, of listening to him talk or sing. The only drawback was that his boyfriend kept turning off the AC, making it far too warm in the house. Ronan wiped the sweat from his forehead and stripped off his tank top. He twisted the shirt around his hand, snuck up behind Noah, and popped him on the ass with the shirt.

Noah yelped, startling the cat and sending her tumbling off the counter.

“Jesus Christ!” Noah yelled. He had spilled beer down his stained apron and the bare skin beneath.

“Not quite,” Ronan grinned, unrepentant. He grabbed Noah’s waist and pulled him in for a kiss.

Noah grumbled against his lips but kissed him back. His lips burned Ronan’s.

Ronan pulled back with a wince. “Fuck!” He placed his fingers to his mouth. “What the hell?”

Noah grinned. “That’s what you get for sneaking up on me, bitch. Noah Czerny’s Sweet and Spicy Jalapeño Surprise.”

Ronan rolled his eyes. “You’re the only white boy I know that has such a hard on for spices.”

“I spent too many years eating potatoes and white bread and mac and cheese,” Noah replied. He stuck a spoon into the pot and sampled the dish, rolling his eyes in exaggerated ecstasy. “My taste buds are living!” he crowed and held the spoon out for Ronan to try.

Ronan opened his mouth obediently and let Noah feed him. He had complete and total faith in Noah’s cooking ever since the day they had first met, when Noah’s food truck, Chicken Out, had set up shop next to the skate park. Fresh out of Aglionby and with too much time on his hands, Ronan had struck up an unlikely friendship with Noah, eventually gathering the courage to ask him out for drinks. They got on so well that drinks culminated in Ronan being served breakfast in bed at Noah’s apartment. It was the first time he’d ever had chicken and waffles and it became one of his favorite meals. Everything Noah served him was his new favorite.

“What do you think?” Noah asked. He leaned in, pressing Ronan back against the counter.

Ronan sucked all the sauce off the spoon, keeping his eyes locked with Noah’s until Noah blushed. “I would happily eat that on anything.”

“Oh yeah?” Noah grinned wickedly. “Cause I got some plumb ribs that would pair well with that sauce.”

Ronan pinched Noah’s side. “Do you now?”

“Mhmm.”

Noah set the spoon aside and pushed up to kiss him again. His lips were searing, burning but Ronan kept kissing him back, his hands touching Noah’s bare back, fingers tugging at the apron ties around Noah’s neck and waist. Noah moaned softly and cupped Ronan’s face with his warm hands. His hands burned against Ronan’s skin.

“Noah—” Ronan panted. “What the fuck is going on with your hands, man?”

“My hands?”

“They fuckin’ burn.” Ronan pulled back and stared at Noah’s palms with suspicion.

“Oh…” Noah looked mildly horrified. “Oh shit the peppers.”

Ronan rubbed at his chin. “The peppers?”

“I was slicing jalapeños earlier. I wore gloves but I may have gotten some of the oil on my hands. And I’ve been sampling as I cooked.” Noah went to the fridge and got out the milk, pouring Ronan a big glass. He handed it over with a sheepish look. “Sorry, babe, I forgot you’re kinda sensitive.”

“I’m not sensitive,” Ronan muttered. He took the glass and drank down the milk, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand when he was done. Noah led him to the sink and they both washed up, Noah slashing him with water and generally _not_ acting like the adult he was supposed to be. He drank some milk, too, and then kissed Ronan thoroughly before returning to his neglected cooking.

“Okay,” Noah said after a few minutes. “The sauce is done! I just need to marinate the chicken and make the pizza.”

“Pizza?” Ronan would gladly forego dinner for Noah in his cute apron sans pants.

“Mhmm. New recipe. I wanna make a sweet and spicy chicken pizza thing, maybe a calzone? Don’t get me wrong, people fucking love my wings and chicken tenders and kebabs but…” Noah got a dreamy look on his face. It was an expression that Ronan loved. “Carbs, Ronan. Chicken and carbs.”

“You’re lucky that you have a reliable source for organic, free range chickens,” Ronan said, poking Noah’s belly.

“We’re like the poster children for indie hipster boyfriends.” Noah moved around the kitchen and Ronan, deftly preparing the meal. “Except neither of us has a beard or moustache.”

“I could start brewing craft beer,” Ronan offered with a smirk. He finished off Noah’s Corona and opened the fridge to get them each a fresh bottle. “I can hear Declan now. ‘You really could not be more gay.’” Noah laughed.

“‘And you’re like, how much more gay can they be?’” Noah drawled in a British accent. “‘And the answer is: none. None more gay.’”

They both snickered. It was fine; Declan was living a high stress life in DC and liked to poke fun at Ronan and Noah because they were cozy and domestic.

“I should tell him I’m thinking of starting a recipe blog,” Noah said.

“Oh God.” Ronan laughed. “Please preface each recipe with an overly wordy bullshit essay about the meaning of life or your family history.”

“Oh! Better yet I’ll just blog about my super cute boyfriend. ‘I first made this dish after spending the night with my boyfriend… I wanted to commemorate our first time with something really special—’”

Noah was cut off when Valkyrie came tearing into the kitchen, pursued by Chainsaw. Noah nearly tripped over the cat and Ronan ducked out of the way, swearing. He caught Noah in his arms and steadied him. Noah’s face was flushed from laughing and from working over the hot stove. He looked up at Ronan, his eyes bright and flashing. Ronan’s heart tripped with happiness. He tilted his head down and gave Noah a soft kiss on the forehead.

“What was that for?” Noah asked.

Ronan shrugged. “I just really love you, dude.”

“Aww, bro,” Noah crooned. “That’s super fucking sweet.”

“Mhmm. And I can’t wait to suck you off later.”

Noah blushed. “That’s definitely not going on the recipe blog.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to Guster’s Keep It Together (2003) while writing this! It's very chill and lovely and I think Noah would like it
> 
> Noah barely had any oil on his skin and they got it cleaned off right away. Trust me, the oil from peppers is no joke. It burns so bad. ALWAYS USE GLOVES.
> 
> Noah’s British quote is a reference to “This is Spinal Tap”
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @dkafterdark


End file.
